Curtis Deception Lab Research

The psychopathology of deception has received little attention. In 1891, Delbrück referred to pathological lying as pseudologia phantastica. Pathological Lying is not found in major nosologies such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; APA, 2013). Recently, I proposed a theory of pathological lying (Curtis, 2019) by implementing the psychopathology criteria of the four Fs (Curtis & Kelley, 2016). My recent work has been empirically examining this model with a large sample, and exploring other facets of pathological lying.

Pathological Lying is defined as:

“A persistent, pervasive, and often compulsive pattern of excessive lying behavior leading to clinically significant impairment of functioning in social, occupational, or other areas, causing marked distress, and posing a risk to the self or others, occurring for longer than a six month period.” (Curtis & Hart, 2020)

Our research examines various aspects of deception: psychotherapy (client and psychotherapist, health care professions, ethical use of deception, intimate relationships, parental relationships, attitudes, beliefs, attributions, motivations, effects of revealing lies, and scale development.

These are students who are currently working in this lab:

Anna Schneemann
Over 3 years, I graduated with my B.A. in Psychology from Southwestern University where I was a captain on the tennis team and an active member of Alpha Delta Pi. I am in my first year of the M.S. Counseling Psychology program while also playing varsity tennis for my final season. I am working with a Dr. Curtis in examining motivations to deceive. In the future, I want to obtain my LPC/LPA and work as an addiction counselor.

Jaimee Morris
I am a sophomore Psychology major from Kerrville, Texas. After earning my undergraduate degree, I plan on attending medical school with the goal of becoming a physician. I am the Treasurer of Active Minds, and I volunteer in the Angelo State Natural History Collections. I am currently working under Dr. Curtis to analyze deception within healthcare, focusing specifically on physicians and nurses.

Yesenia Villanueva
I am currently a Jr. Psychology major at Angelo State University. After I graduate I plan on receiving my masters in counseling psychology. I plan to treat young adults and children. After receiving my masters I plan on getting my PH.D. , also in counseling psychology. Counseling has helped me tremendously in my own life and I would like to be able to provide positive outcomes to the people I treat. I am currently assisting Dr. Curtis with research that focuses on the effects of Deception and Lies.

Peyton Walter
After graduating from ASU in May, I will be going to graduate school to get my masters in counseling. I plan on treating college students and young adults after I get my LPC and hopefully one day, own my own practice. I love my friends, family and dog more than anything. I played soccer for 17 years, until I was medically disqualified last year from receiving too many concussions. This was a very tough adjustment for me but it allowed me to really focus on my academics and develop a true passion for psychology. I am assisting Dr. Curtis with research that is focused on deception in the counseling field, specifically investigating the effects of writing about a lie, and I’m very excited to see what we find.

Our research examines various aspects of clinical science. Primarily this research examines psychomythology of psychopathology. We have also examined augmentative and alternative communication devices.

These are students who are currently working in this lab:

Ashley Mohesky
I graduated in December 2017 with my B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Social Work. I am currently in my first year in the Counseling Psychology program. After graduation, I plan to seek licensure as an LPC and work with individuals who have anxiety, bipolar, and other disorders. One of my passions is to change perceptions towards counselors with disabilities of any kind. This fall, I will be working with Dr. Curtis on a study that will examine how clients perceive counseling from a therapist with a physical disability and therapists who use a communication device to speak.

Jonathan Soberanes
Hello, my name is Jonathan Soberanes. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Business from Angelo State University, where I also spent my last two years playing baseball. I am currently a graduate student chasing a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology degree here at ASU. I wish to work at a private practice in Dallas, Texas someday, helping children and adolescents through some of life’s changing phases. Some hobbies include: exercising, reading, and playing guitar